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“A truffle can be three or four things,” said pastry chef Bruno Biagianti in a thick French accent. “It’s cream — like heavy cream. It’s 51 percent chocolate, butter, and for the holiday, it can be zesty orange with Grand Marnier.” Biagianti advised keeping the recipe liquor-free if the treats are to be consumed by children, though with or without the adult twist, the dessert is delicious. A traditional French treat, truffles are suitable for any festive gathering, and in France are most typically consumed during the holidays. Truffles are made in parts, Biagianti said, and cooking times depend on cooling temperatures. Yet the dessert is an easy one to make with kids, and the ingredients are simple enough to find in any grocery store. “Pastries are easy. It’s common sense,” Biagianti joked. “If it was difficult, I wouldn’t have become a pastry chef.”

⅔ cup heavy cream

12 ounces semisweet chocolate,

chopped into tiny pieces

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons liquor (Cognac,

Grand-Marnier, whiskey) or

orange extract

1 teaspoon orange zest, finely

chopped

(optional) 6 ounces of coating

chocolate, melted to 85-90

degrees

⅔ cup premium unsweetened

cocoa

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream just to a boil.